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This is probably one of the first things you thought of when flying with your cat for the first time. Before I had any experience with this I also wondered how this worked since your cat will just sit under your seat in their carrier. If your cat needs to go to the bathroom on the plane most people will bring a portable litter box with them and have them go to the restroom with you so they can do their business.
Things You Will Need
If you are going to fly with your cat you need to bring some supplies with you so if they need to go to the bathroom (or if they accidentally went in their carrier) you’ll be ready to handle this.
Portable Litter Box
You can buy litter boxes that are specifically designed for travel. You could also use something like a shoe box but a portable one is more convenient since they fold and are easy to store. Click here for a list of my favorite ones here – “Best Portable Cat Litter Boxes For Travel“
Litter
Any litter will do but good odor blocking litter is what I recommend. I use something called “Ever Clean Everfresh Unscented Clumping Clay Cat Litter (click here for the chewy.com link)“. Its very good at doing this.
Pee Pads
These will absorb urine so your carrier is a lot easier to clean if by some chance that they go. You can get these at Amazon for a very cheap price. My reccommendation is “rocket & rex Washable Pee Pads (Click here for the amazon link)“.
Pet Diapers
You can get diapers specifically designed for pets and they work well for situations like this. Not a necessity but can make things easier if you don’t want to mess with a litter box and litter.
Can You Bring Cat Litter On A Plane?
Airlines will allow cat litter on their planes and you should take advantage of this so its easier for your cat to go. Best thing to do is bring some in a large zip-lock bag and dump it into the portable litter box if you need to do so.
How To Tell If Your Cat Needs To Go To The Bathroom
This is really important to know so you can prevent cleaning up a mess in their carrier. There are a couple of ways you can tell if your cat need to go. Some of these things include meowing and sniffing the ground.
How To Avoid Your Cat Going To The Bathroom
Taking care of your cats bathroom needs can be a real hassle while on the plane but a better way of handling it is preventing them from going altogether or having them go before the trip. Here are some tips on how to do this.
Pet Relieving Stations
Some airlines have a place where you cat can relieve themselves if they by chance need to go. If you can find one I highly recommend taking you cat here so they don’t end up going on the plane.
Don’t Feed Them A Couple Hours Before The Trip
If they don’t eat or drink anything for a while this will give you the best chance of them not going on the plane. If you really have to feed them because the trip is so long keep it to a minimum.
Keep Their Stress Levels Down
Stress can accelerate the bathroom process so you want to do everything you can to calm your cat down. Some ways that you can do this is put things in the carrier that are familiar to them like toys, blankets, anxiety jackets etc and covering the carrier really helps
Don’t Put Them In Cargo
This will make them freak out so I highly recommend not doing this.
Conclusion
Don’t worry if your cat has a little accident. Though its a drag to clean you can get rid of the mess if you have everything that I listed here.
